Faces of War

News, notes, and narratives documenting my research and writing experiences as a columnist in the "Civil War News," the author of "Faces of the Civil War" and "Faces of the Confederacy," and as a collector of Civil War photography.

Monday, September 24, 2007

Identified With a Twist

The carte de visite up for auction on eBay immediately attracted my attention for aesthetic reasons: Three wonderfully posed Union officers by Brady in great contrast and condition. The only detail that would have put this image more desirable would have been for the soldiers to be identified. Sure enough, within a short time after the dealer posted the item, another eBayer, who owns a copy of this same image, identified the men as the Clark brothers, James W., Whiting, and Frank. All three served in Maine regiments.

I had already planned on bidding on the image before the identification, and, after winning the auction, posted requests for information about the three brothers on GenForum and the Maine Civil War Discussion Forum. Within a couple hours, Andy MacIsaac replied to my Maine forum post: He explained that a regular participant on the forum, Andrea Solarz, was related to the brothers.

Armed with this information, I emailed Andrea and learned that the brother identified as Frank (on the right) is actually Charles A. Clark, who served as adjutant of the Sixth Maine Infantry. Moreover, Charles was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his actions at Banks Ford, Virginia, on May 4, 1863. On that day, his regiment surrounded by Confederate troops, Clark’s led his men out of a dire situation and safely back to Union lines.

About Me

Name: Ron Coddington

Location: Arlington, Va., United States

I am currently searching for original, wartime photographs of African American soldiers in uniform who served in the Civil War. These images, and the life stories of each subject, will be published in my next book. If you are descended from a soldier, or are a collector or museum professional in possession of photographs that meet my criteria, please contact me.
I have been collecting Civil War cartes de visite, a photographic format about the size of a modern baseball card, since my teen years. In 2000, I began researching identified soldiers in my collection and was inspired by their stories. The following year I began writing a column in the "Civil War News." I am the author of two books, both published by The Johns Hopkins University Press: "Faces of the Civil War" (2004) and "Faces of the Confederacy" (2008). I am a career visual journalist, and currently USA TODAY's art director. Born in New Jersey, I am a 1985 University of Georgia graduate. My wife, Anne, and I are proud parents of two pugs, Missy and Bella.